Forever and a Day
by skysayzrawr
Summary: Bella asks Carlisle to turn her into a vampire and when she wakes up, the Cullens are gone. After a chance meeting with a certain stranger outside her house, Bella's on her way to Seattle for a little surveillance. Takes place in early Eclipse, OOC. NOTICE: THIS HAS BEEN PUT ON INDEFINITE HOLD, I'M SORRY! I MAY COME BACK TO IT AT SOME POINT, BUT I JUST CAN'T UPDATE IT RIGHT NOW.
1. My Lucky Stars

_For all my Buffy fans...**turn back now**! This is a Twilight story (yes, *gasp*), and unless you're willing to read it, I advise you to stay away! There will be Edward bashing, but just a bit in the first chapter and not much more until later on. So, you've been warned! _

_Now, for those of you who are Twilight fans...this takes place sometime around the beginning of Eclipse and goes wildly OOC straight from the start. I am a big Bella/Riley fan, and that is what this story is. Bella gets turned into a vampire, courtesy of Carlisle, and joins up with the newborns in Seattle to spy from the inside. Like in the Twilight books, Bella is a mental shield. She is more capable of coherent thought than other newborns, but no way can she _turn and run_ when human blood is near. She is a typical newborn in that sense. She has no other special powers except newborn strength and agility. This fic relies heavily on the Short Second Life of Bree Tanner and contains many spoilers! I bought it specifically for the purpose of this fic since I had a gift card to Barnes & Noble, so...enjoy! _

_I do not own anything pertaining to the wonderful world Stephanie Meyer has created, nor to any other cultural phenomenas I may mention in passing. :(_

_And last but not least, I do have a few chapters of this written already, but not much more- reviews really do encourage me to write faster. So, in summary...review if you want more chapters! _

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"Edward…" I began, looking my boyfriend straight in his gorgeous topaz eyes. "I promise you, I _will_ marry you. I love you with all of my heart. I want to be able to have sex and be together completely on our honeymoon. But if I'm human, we can't do that! I need to be turned, Edward. Soon."

"Bella-" Edward murmured, his unnecessary breath hitching in his throat. He brushed a lock of my chestnut brown hair out of my face. "We've talked about this, you know how much it means. I want you to be mine, forever. Won't you do me the honor of becoming my wife first?"

"How can you not get it?" I spat back venomously. Edward recoiled and my gut did a little twist at seeing his face covered in hurt. "Victoria is after me and you'd keep me a human just so you could get your little nuptials? If I die, we can never be together! Just turn me, and help me through it. Tell everyone we're off at college until I can face them for real. Then we can come back and get married. And kill Victoria."

"No." he replied stonily, perfect features contorted in both fear and anger as he left my bedside. "You need to be with me. I need to be sure you'll always be with me every step of the way, and then I can help you through it."

"You're being unreasonable." I said through gritted teeth, allowing my eyes to convey my need as I looked up at him. They were suddenly filled with anger as I ran over his last words. "Wait- you think I'm only using you to get immortality? That I don't really love you? That I'm not willing to spend forever and a day with you?"

"No, of course not!" Edward hurried to exclaim, coming back and framing my face with his hands. "I love you, and I know that you feel the same way. I just- never mind."

"No." I imitated, pulling my face away and feeling my eyebrows come together. "You think I just want to use you to become a vampire. I can read it all over your expression!"

"That's not true!" Edward half-growled before instantaneously flitting to my window. "I'm going to hunt. I'll be back later…alright? When we've both calmed down, we can discuss this more thoroughly."

"Fine…" I said grumpily, waiting patiently for him to have gotten far off before I began to form a plan. I didn't want to give Alice time to come over and stop me from whatever it was I was going to do. I decided to go to the Cullens' and see where it took me.

Grabbing my sweater off of the door knob, I pulled it on as I walked down the stairs. Finding an old pair of sneakers, I threw them on as well and headed to the door. I thanked my lucky stars Charlie was out of town for the week at a fishing competition down in Oregon. This was the third year in a row he'd gone down to Portland, and he was a hoping he'd finally trade his runner-up status for first place.

Running to my truck and fumbling with the keys, I finally managed to wrench the door open and start the ignition. Backing out carefully, I raced down the road as fast as I could without killing my ancient vehicle. It took a while to reach the vampires' house, since I could only go fifty-five miles an hour, and the pouring rain made it even harder to see the entrance to the drive than it normally was. After almost twenty minutes of squinting through my water-filled windshield, I finally made it though.

Parking the Chevy in front of the old white house, I slammed the door and walked inside. All the vampires in the vicinity had heard me coming a mile away- quite literally. Carlisle was there, as well as Alice and Jasper. I didn't see Rosalie or Emmett there, and of course Edward was away somewhere, hunting.

"Bella!" Carlisle exclaimed amicably, giving me a friendly nod. "What a surprise to see you here at this hour of night. Then again, it's not exactly the first time you've popped by unannounced. Where's Edward?"

"Edward is out getting himself ready…he didn't want to be here." I lied quite smoothly. An idea had suddenly popped into my head and Alice got a girlish grin on her face. "This visit is actually much like the last one."

"How so?" Carlisle asked, still smiling. "Is it regarding your mortality as well?"

"Yes." I said, point-blank. "Edward and I have decided it would be best if you turned me. Tonight. We have no idea when Victoria is coming, and we have both agreed it would be much safer if I was immortal. We could say I was going off to college and with all my credits, I could graduate high school early."

"I quite agree." Carlisle replied, nodding and generally looking thoughtful. "You've been in much unnecessary danger of late, and it would be more prudent to make you, for the most part, resilient to it."

I smiled, glad everyone here was accepting this with no problem. I mostly felt relief, and if I had any guilt about deceiving Edward, it lay far beneath all my joy and apprehension at being turned. Even Jasper was fooled.

"Let's do this." I said determinedly without much ado.

"Come this way, please." Carlisle murmured gently, gesturing to a table in the corner of the room. A dining table, but the Cullens merely used it as a prop. I got up and sat on top of it while Carlisle got what appeared to be some kind of serum. "If it's all right with you, I'd like to see if the morphine takes away from the pain of the process at all."

I nodded my ascent and pulled my sweater off so he could inject my arm. He positioned the needle, pushed the plunger on the syringe, and withdrew it again.

"You're ready." Carlisle said, the rest of the family simply watching from where they were.

"Yes," I replied, somewhat woozy from the fast-acting morphine, and pushed my hair aside to expose my neck. "I _am _ready."

Carlisle looked me straight in the eye. "You know the implications of this."

I looked him just as steadily back. "I do."

He leaned forward and bit my neck.

The world ended.

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_A/N: Remember- review if you like this, or are interested in me posting more of it! :)_


	2. Nee Higgenbotham

_I see that a lot of people have given me story alerts for this fic...but I only got _two_ reviews (btw, thank you to ParamuseAngel and ElliexPattinson for doing that!). So I figured maybe some people didn't want to get into the story a lot unless they saw I wasn't just posting one chapter. Thus, chapter two the VERY NEXT DAY. It's stupid, since I only have four chapters written, but...I can't refuse you guys! Please, review! It makes me happy. I could never understand how so many people add stories to their alerts but never review once. Maybe someone could answer why...?_

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_All I could see was blackness for a moment, and then all I could feel was indescribable pain. I had no idea how long it lasted, but after what seemed to be months, I could hear again and the pain began to recede from my fingertips.

Slowly, over what seemed to be the course of weeks, it left my hands, my arms; my toes, my feet. It withdrew from my legs and my head stopped pounding. Soon, the searing pain had nowhere to go but my chest. Soaring to unbelievable heights, it chased after my heart until the last beat.

And then there was silence.

I opened my eyes.

Nobody was there.

I could hear incredibly well, the heartbeats of birds outside, the passing of music in a car on the freeway. It was amazing! I sat up quickly, rolling off the table I'd been placed on and crouched in case of an attack. I glanced around, my eyes darting quickly from one place to another. I could smell…others. I knew without hesitation that no one had been in the room since yesterday.

Straightening up from my crouch, I moved at an amazing pace out of the room and downstairs. I stopped to test the smell of everything before moving on; my newborn instincts wouldn't allow me to stay exposed for long. Rushing outside in the blink of an eye, I was caught off-guard by my surroundings. My vision had improved more than tenfold, it could really have been described as a thousand-fold, a million-fold.

I could see the trees perfectly, down to every last leaf and needle. I could hear no animals except the birds passing overhead, but it was obviously because they all knew to stay away from here. Stepping quickly off the porch, I took in my surroundings in a millisecond. I could smell where the others- the Cullens, I made myself think- had gone, and I nixed the idea of following them. I wanted to _explore_.

Turning and running down the driveway, I noted that my truck had been hidden, probably in the vast garage. I headed towards Forks, intending to approach my house from the most remote way possible, grab some of my things and leave. If my transformation had only taken a few days, Charlie would still be gone on his trip.

I ran by the road to Forks, just past the tree line, making sure that no one could see me. I only passed a couple of cars, but held my breath just in case- it was easier than I had thought to ignore the sound of their passengers' heartbeats.

Finally reaching the outskirts of my sleepy little town, I thanked the stars that the house was just on the edge. Darting into the yard, I held my breath so I wouldn't kill my neighbors. Luckily, I didn't have too many of those since there was so much property around and so few people. I was about to enter the house when a movement out of the corner of my eye caused me to whip around. A man was walking out of the tree line towards me, and I instantly knew he wasn't human.

He had dark blonde hair, almost brown, and dull red eyes. His shining white skin made a stark contrast with his dark coat and jeans. When he was turned, he must have been about eighteen or nineteen, certainly no more than twenty. Walking forward gracefully but with purpose, he halted about two house lengths from me. I began to walk cautiously towards him, keeping my eyes peeled for any attackers from the side. When I started to walk, he came forward as well, and soon the distance between us was lost.

"Riley Biers." I said in a high, clear voice. My eyes widened slightly, I hadn't heard my voice since I'd been turned and it was almost unrecognizable.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked suspiciously in a musical voice to rival my own. I took in his beautiful features. I decided my human memory of Edward couldn't hold a candle to this boy, but surely once I'd seen him as a vampire myself he'd more than compare.

"Is there anyone within a fifty-mile radius who doesn't know you?" I asked, giving a snort- it sounded like bells. How was that even possible? "There are missing posters of you everywhere."

"Oh. Right." he replied, looking somewhat mollified, if uncomfortable. "What are you doing outside of this house?"

"I smelled a particularly appetizing human, but it turns out he's been gone for almost a week." I answered, thinking up a lie on the spot.

"Ah. I was told there was a human girl who lived here as well. Did you catch her scent?" Riley asked me, tilting his head a bit.

"There was no girl's scent in there, just the man." I replied, hoping against hope that he'd believe me.

"I must have had the wrong address with me, then." the gorgeous ex-college student said, looking slightly confused. "Your eyes are so bright…how old are you?"

"I woke up this morning." I murmured, knowing he could hear me perfectly fine. I suddenly felt an impulse to find out why he was looking for me. "I was going for a walk before this all started and some man grabbed me. He was so beautiful, and I was completely spellbound. He bit me and the next thing I know I'm feeling this horrible pain. What felt like months later, I opened my eyes…and I could see _everything_."

"You woke today?" Riley asked incredulously. "How many humans have you killed?"

"None, yet. I figured out what I am, and I was going to eat this guy, but he wasn't here." I said, gesturing helplessly to my house. I realized I needed to play dumb about the whole vampire thing. "The thirst really isn't that bad. I feel okay. Hey- how come I didn't burst into flame when the sun hit me? Can stakes really kill me? I feel so…indestructible."

"We don't really burn. Stakes pose no danger- they're just silly mortal myths." he replied distractedly. He paused for a moment. "Your maker really just left you?"

"Yes." I said, and the confusion I displayed was genuine. I truly had no idea where my maker was. It wasn't like the media would have you believe, though that ought to have come as no surprise- I felt no mystical bond to Carlisle, nor did I feel an irresistible pull one way or the other. I looked at Riley helplessly, hoping he'd soften. "What do I do?"

He did soften, just a bit. I could see it in his eyes; he still had enough humanity left to take pity on a helpless member of his own kind.

"You've resisted your thirst long enough. It's rather impressive, but you need to feed. I'll guide you through it." he said, walking up to me and offering his hand. Feeling sure I would blush if I was still human Bella, I took it, eyes downcast. He looked at me curiously. "By the way- what's your name?"

"Jessica." I said, saying the first name I could think of. Inside I cursed my own stupidity. _Jessica?_ I was stuck as the most annoying girl ever to grace the town of Forks, Washington? "Jessica…Dwyer."

There, I'd use my mother and Phil's last name. Better than my mother's maiden name, Higgenbotham. I shuddered slightly, and Riley noticed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and if I hadn't known better, I'd have thought he was actually concerned. I gave him a smile and shook my head.

"Nothing." I replied, still smiling. "So, where's good to get some food?"

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_A/N: Interesting fact...her mom's maiden name really _is_ Higgenbotham. *shudder* _

_Review! _


	3. Not So Happy Meal

_New chapter! Btw: I meant it when I said Bella was an average newborn in most senses. Thanks so much to Christina-Tears, ElliexPattinson, and xXxVampChicaxXx for reviewing! I don't mean to be one of those needy authors who always begs for reviews, but I really do love them! Hope you like this chapter. :)_

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"The big city is usually best for hunting, but I'm concerned that you haven't eaten yet. We need to get something to eat here." Riley said to me, crimson eyes meeting my own certainly scarlet ones. "Is there anyone you never liked here? Now would be a good chance for some revenge."

"No one in particular." I said, listening in horror as my mouth formed words and spoke them without consulting my brain. "Why don't we just go through town and find someone on the way to…I'm guessing, Seattle? It is the only big city in Washington."

"Sounds fine." my companion replied, and I gripped his hand more tightly as we turned towards Forks. There was a part of my mind protesting, but once I had thought about my thirst, it was unquenchable. It consumed me from within, my resolve crumbling to dust as soon as I considered not feeding.

Racing at a furious- yet relaxed- pace, we were quickly at the town's limits. I couldn't help but marvel at how gracefully Riley carried himself, and I watched all of his muscles moving as he ran, never growing tired. He looked over at me once, surely going to ask why I was gawking at him, but just gave me a puzzled look and turned forward again.

Strolling casually down the main- and now overcast- street, we looked for all the world a couple simply going for a walk. Many floored jaws were directed at us, but I was too busy holding my breath to notice. It made me extremely uncomfortable to be so senseless, even if it was only smell I was missing. Becoming increasingly more nervous, I finally inhaled. The smell was intoxicating, and I was single-minded in my pursuit. Letting go of Riley's hand, I followed one scent and moved forward.

Walking quickly, by human standards, I trailed the aroma to the door of a shop, wrenched it open, and strode inside. Two shelves away, I found the source of this particular scent. Lauren Mallory was standing there, examining a new set of highlighters with a superficial intensity. How fitting that Lauren would be my first kill.

"Lauren?" I asked, striding up to her and enjoying the expression she made when she saw me.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked breathlessly, mouth falling open into a small 'o' before she regained her composure. At that moment, Riley entered the shop, coming to a halt beside me. I smiled at the girl in front of me. Her face widened with recognition. "Be-"

I panicked, afraid she would divulge my secret to Riley. Grabbing her and slapping a hand over her mouth, I spun her towards me, simply intending to shut her up. Instead, I broke her neck. Gripping her so tightly that blood began to ooze from her where my nails had punctured her skin, I was unable to resist my thirst.

From out of the back, the shopkeeper came into the room.

"Hello?" he called. He must have been in his mid-fifties, with thinning silvery-brown hair and a little moustache. It didn't take Riley two seconds to leap across the store in one bound and deliver a blow strong enough to kill him, too. I drained Lauren, not feeling guilty at all until I watched her pale corpse hit the thin blue carpeting on the floor. I didn't mean to kill her, but I couldn't resist once she was already dead. Riley offered the man to me as well, and though my mind was repulsed, my body compelled me to cross the floor and grab him roughly, sinking my teeth into his neck.

Finally, my thirst was- for the most part- quenched.

"Er…what do we do now?" I asked, feeling a muddled mess of emotions. I prodded Lauren's body hesitantly with my foot.

"We would just leave them, but the local clan of vampires is extremely territorial about others hunting on their land- they would not hesitate to exterminate us if they knew we were here." Riley answered, and I felt confusion. The only clan of vampires around here was…oh. But why would he think that?

"Really?" I asked, pretending to be confused. "Who are they? Do you think they turned me?"

"It's possible," my companion informed me. "Though unlikely. They seem to be very protective of everything, even their human pet. It's unlikely that they would create another vampire."

"They have a human pet?" I wondered aloud. Was I really just a pet to Edward? How else would Riley know about me, if the Cullens hadn't simply been bragging about their ability to resist my blood to other vampires?

"Yes, Bella something or other." he replied, a sneer dominating over his features. "She's in _love _with one of them. It's rather sickening to be honest."

"What if she was just pretending to love him in order to be turned?" I asked, curious as to his opinion.

"I've heard they have special powers…one of them can read emotions." Riley told me, trying to put on bravado, but I could see a hint of fear in his eyes. Why was he scared of them? "She would have doubtlessly been killed once her emotions were determined false."

"Right." I murmured. I couldn't ask any more about the details or he'd begin to get suspicious. "So…Seattle isn't their territory?"

"It's supposed to be." Riley replied. "But they haven't come for us yet…"

"Us?" I asked, eyes widening a bit. He cursed.

"No, I mean…yes, us." he gave in, looking furious with himself. "The newborns and myself. We're amassing an army to revolt against these 'Cullens'. They need to die, soon. They're getting jealous and rash in their old age. They killed my friend's companion for simply passing through. You have excellent self-control, and I was hoping you might join us."

"Join you?" I blinked, tilting my head. "Join you in destroying these 'Cullens'?"

"Yeah. You'd be a great help, I can already see that." Riley shrugged. "Would you come with me? I'm sick of worthless newborns who only care for fights."

It would be the greatest challenge I could think of. It would be the best spy mission I could have ever been a part of. Why not? I could gather intel while I was there. Most of all…I didn't really want to leave Riley. He was the first one to see me as a vampire, first to help me out- even if it was in killing a couple of people. For some reason or another, I felt a connection with him. He was my age, or a little older. He used to be in college in Seattle, or so the 'missing' flyers had stated. This all took me but a millisecond to think.

"Sure." I said, smiling a bit. "Sounds fun."

"Let's bury the bodies out back and then get going." he said amicably, holding out his hand once more. Feeling the ghost of a heated blush, I took it. We were soon off to Seattle.


	4. The Name's Fred, Freaky Fred

_This is the last of my already-typed chapters, so for everyone reading this, the next chapter will probably be later than usual...I haven't lost my inspiration, though it's more like dial-up than DSL at the moment. Woah, I remember dial-up. I feel old now...anyways, thanks so much to xXxVampChicaxXx, Ekaterina2324, and RangerRainbow for reviewing. It makes me do a happy dance around my room (more like the entire house; my roommates are growing concerned) when my email informs me someone's reviewed. :) _

_p.s. Sorry this chapter's not exactly excitement-filled...but Bella meets Fred! Doesn't that make up for it? No? Well...go get bitten by Paul. Hopefully the next chapter's better. _

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We made it to Seattle faster than I thought possible- it must really help your gas budget when you can traverse a state in a matter of hours. Of course, most vampires who've been around for even ten-plus years usually have a pretty good nest egg built up. I wondered idly how much money Riley had. He obviously hadn't been a vampire much longer than myself, if my dad's flyers were anything to go by. Who turned him? Why did they turn him, specifically? Was he still in contact with them? Why did he want to kill the Cullens?

So many questions, so little- well, actually, I had a pretty good amount of time now. The questions could wait- I wanted to see my new home.

"So…where are we headed?" I asked cautiously as Riley and I entered the city's limits. The smell all around me was intoxicating, but I found I could ignore it if I just didn't think about how good it would taste to go on a rampage, snapping necks and drinking all that warm, gurgling- my companion's voice cut my thoughts off before too much venom had pooled in my mouth.

"There's a kind of a warehouse, up ahead." Riley said, with a jerk of his head to the north-west side of the city. "You'll be staying with the other newborns, for a little while. I need to clear out a space for you where I live. I check in on them every day, and they all go hunting at night. Just…try not to get yourself killed while you're there, okay? I like you."

I gave an involuntary shiver of excitement and anticipation. I couldn't wait to finally be able to stand up for myself against the world. To finally be strong enough to protect myself. Riley must have seen my tremor as fear; his face softened again and he looked at me with wide crimson eyes.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." he said, and there was a hint of bitterness there. "I'll give you a choice- you won't be forced into anything you don't want."

"Oh, I'm not afraid." I said simply, and it was the truth. Riley looked impressed for a moment before smoothing his face and gesturing forward.

Hands still linked, we ran quickly to the small building that must have led to where the newborns were. It looked like some kind of a bar front, or maybe a shop. Even from outside, I could hear the sounds of fighting. For some reason that went against my every instinct, I grinned. Darkness gathering outside, Riley strode to the door with me and held it open. As we entered together, I immediately noted that the small building was merely a façade, holding nothing but empty crates- the basement was where everyone else was.

At the sound of the door opening, the fighting noises downstairs ceased. Descending the basement steps together, Riley and I entered the dimly lit room. It was larger than I'd imagined- but then, it would have to be, to house the twenty or so newborns it did. Most of their eyes immediately zoomed in on our linked hands, and Riley let go of me hastily.

"This is the your newest housemate," he said, introducing me. "Her name is Jessica. Do _not_ kill her." his eyes grew more intense than normal. "Don't even attack her- or your punishment will be severe. Diego, I want you and Raoul to take the rest of the newborns hunting tonight."

Turning to find somewhere to sit down, I was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. I turned back around, locking eyes with Riley.

"Be careful." he said in a surprisingly soft voice, low enough so the others wouldn't hear. I nodded, smiling at him, and he gave me a stiff nod back before turning and going back up the stairs. At the sound of his leaving, the rest of the newborns began to get frantic, and the man I assumed was Diego directed them out the door, finishing with a small girl who could have been no more than sixteen.

Turning around once more, I was glad of the opportunity to survey the room without all the others there. Surprised, I noticed one who hadn't left. I remembered from my quick glance a minute before that the rest of the couch next to him had been absent then, too. Walking over, I hoped he wasn't too annoyed with my move to sit by him. At first he didn't seem to notice, but then he looked over at me in surprise. He seemed to concentrate on something, finally giving up after a moment.

"Whatever you do, it doesn't work on me." I informed him. I tapped my head. "Something's wrong up here, I think."

"Oh." the blonde man replied simply. He gave me a scrutinizing look before nodding his head. "I'm Fred."

"Fred…I'm Be-Jessica." I replied, annoyed at my slip-up. I thought vampires were supposed to have clear heads! Must be a newborn thing. He raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

"There's not much to do around here." he said, before pointed to a pile of books at his feet. "There's a girl- Bree, I think- who gets these from the bookstore all the time. She leaves them for me when she's done. I don't know if you like reading, but it's better than getting your arm torn off by Kristy."

"Kristy?" I echoed. Was there some kind of pack-mentality going on here? Briefly I thought of Jacob. I had gone through my human memories earlier, cementing them in my brain, but it was still hard to think of them. It was like trying to see through muddy water, and every second that went by, I felt them become more like another life, less like reality.

"She'll attack anyone she's jealous of." Fred informed me. "Namely, you. You're the only one left she might actually view as a threat besides Raoul or Diego. They're Riley's top two guys, but Diego is more like a great student, and Raoul is more like a good recruitment officer."

"You notice a lot, don't you?" I asked, laughing. I paused, stunned. My laugh sounded like wind chimes and music. I shook it off; now was not the time wonder over it. "What do you do, anyway? It doesn't seem like you like anyone else here."

"I don't like the rest of them; they're all mindless sheep following Riley's orders. And whoever _she _is that gives them to him." Fred replied, and I furrowed my brow. She? I felt an odd surge of something I couldn't quite identify. I stowed it all away for further thought when Fred began talking again. "As for noticing things, well, you don't have much else to do when you're stuck inside all day."

"Why are you stuck inside?" I asked, curious. Fred looked at me like I'd just told him that I'd seen Riley in a tutu.

"Because if we go outside in the sun, we die." he said slowly, as if talking to an imbecile. "Big pile of flames, just like in the stories."

"That's not-" I began, then thought about it hard. "That's not…good."

Whatever Riley's reasons for lying, I'd keep his cover, for now. I had more spying to do.


	5. I'm Sorry

_Well, here's the next chapter! It's more than twice the length of the other ones, so I hope that makes up for so little Fred in the last chapter. Don't we all just love that guy? Anywho, thanks to AnaMarieWest, RangerRainbow, bells254, and twilightfan888 for reviewing! You people keep me writing. I'm not sure how much longer it will be before the next chapter's up, but probably a good while, so be warned. _

_p.s. Sorry this chappie's a bit depressing towards the end...the next one will be cheerier! _

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That night, I mostly talked with Fred, and read a couple of the books the Bree girl had left for him. He'd filled me in on what exactly his power was; he caused people to ignore him. It was some kind of effect he had on their minds, he'd said, that made them feel nauseous if they looked at him too long.

I guess that explained why I was immune. I had to physically bite my tongue once to stop from blurting out how Edward's power hadn't effected me when I was human. Fred told me he could turn his power up and down at will, and I supposed he actually had a very useful ability- especially since he could choose who to effect.

It wasn't until almost dawn- and I'm not sure how I knew that, I just did- that the rest of the vampires came back. Splitting up into their little gangs, the ones named Raoul and who I surmised to be Kristy both took their respective ends of the fairly large cellar. Halfway through the day, I heard the sound of fighting breaking out and looked up to see someone's arm being ripped off.

Acting upon pure stupid, stupid instinct, I leaped up and flitted to between the two vampires.

"Stop." I growled, looking at them both. Instead of stopping, however, they both looked maliciously at me. Ganging up, the two stalked towards me together. I listened to my instincts, alerting myself to the fact that as newborns, they would feel the urge to face me head on, trying to use their brute strength to crush my ribs.

Somehow, I was able to detach myself from this need, feeling myself dodge around the two and letting them crash into each other. Sounds like boulders cracking together filled the basement, and they both wheeled around to face me. Feigning right, I managed to make one fly towards me, and I flitted left around his side and wrapped my arms around his head.

Seeing red taint my vision, I pulled my arms in two directions and was shocked when the red faded and I was left with a decapitated corpse. Glaring at the other newborn who attacked me, a rather petite girl with silvery-blonde hair who had lost her arm, I intimidated her into backing off. Dismembering the body I had a hold of quickly, I arranged the limbs into a little pile on the side of the room for Riley to deal with when he came back. Whenever someone came near the remains, I hissed and they retreated.

I was quietly surprised that I had done such an easy job of taking on two vampires at once so quickly, but I didn't let it show on my face. I figured, around here, that would probably get you dead. Allowing myself a small grin of triumph, I sauntered back to Fred and sat down beside him, picking up a copy of Harry Potter. Huffing to myself, I got buried in the tale of the Goblet of Fire.

So engrossed I was, that by the time Riley had returned and I was on to the book about the Half-Blood Prince, I got didn't even answer when he called my name. Well, partly that, and partly because I forgot I was going by Jessica now.

"Jessica?" Riley called. I barely heard him. "Jessica? Jessica! Can you come here?"

"Huh?" I asked, snapping out of my reverie and looking up. "Oh. Riley, hey."

I stood up, confused at why I had to talk to him over where he was. He appeared slightly sickened for a moment as he looked at where I was coming from, and I realized it was because he couldn't go near Fred.

As I walked across the room, the blonde girl from earlier- Kristy, I remembered- was cradling her newly attached arm and glaring at me.

"Snape kills Dumbledore!" she hissed, looking at the book in my hand. My jaw dropped.

"You bitch!" I shouted, and flitted over to her. Ripping her arm back off her shoulder, and taking off the other one as well for good measure, I glared at her. "I hadn't gotten to that part yet!"

Growling menacingly under my breath, I tossed the arms back at her and stalked- somehow gracefully- back to where Riley was.

"Riley." I acknowledged. "What's up?"

"I heard that there was some fighting earlier." he said, not really looking mad. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I replied, and pointed over to the pile of body parts in the corner. "But he's not. I didn't really know what to do with him, so I just put him over there."

He walked over, me trailing behind him. He looked at the pile, turning over an arm and examining it.

"This is actually really good work for a newborn." he said suspiciously. "It's hard to believe you're only two days old."

"Believe it." I said simply. "Hey- can I go out hunting tonight? I'm getting thirsty."

"Yeah." he replied, offering a tiny smile. "Why don't you and I go out. Fred can come too, if he wants."

We both looked expectantly at him, Riley looking away after a moment. I saw Fred nod his head and when he got up and came towards us, the rest of the group shied away from his path. I tilted my head at him when I saw Riley looking almost green, but he simply shrugged it off and we headed up the stairs.

"Everyone else, stay here." I heard Riley say before his footsteps came after us. He paused and must have turned around again. "You all had enough to drink last night; if I come back to find even one body smoldering, I will kill you on the spot, understood?"

A chorus of half-hearted yeses were heard before Riley caught up to us.

We were up the stairs and out into the night air in milliseconds, and I found myself getting a rush of adrenaline from the speed. I blinked- vampires still had adrenaline rushes? The Cullens were always so composed, it was hard to believe. I giggled to myself; there was so much more to this second life that I'd never expected. I always thought I'd be a blood-crazed newborn, held in check by my amazing fiancée. Instead, I found myself to be a fairly clear-thinking vampire with no need for anyone to constantly look over my shoulder and check up on me.

"Jessica?" Riley asked, and I he waved his hand in front of my face to snap me out of my reverie. Once he knew he had my attention, he began talking again. I saw Fred watching the whole interaction with interest. "I know that the first time you went hunting, I let you kill a couple of people in the middle of town. From now on, however, it needs to be different. You have to pick people that won't be missed- our presence is already drawing attention, and we can't risk discovery. Stick to the slums; attack the pimps, the prostitutes, the drug dealers."

I noticed his constant use of the word 'we'. I felt both mildly irritated at being lumped into the same category as the others, and a strange sensation of warmth at the thought of being in the same category as Riley. I nodded my head to show I understood, and the three of us took off for Seattle's shadier side.

I'd never given the city much thought. It was there, on the edge of consciousness, but I hadn't been to Seattle since I left its airport for Forks two and a half years ago. I never thought of it as a town with criminal activity- it had always been the cloudy, rainy, epitome of Washington. Owl City hadn't exactly written any songs to make me think otherwise, either. Now, I was finding out it had a hell of a dark side.

What an underbelly it was- as I stalked the people, while hidden in the shadows, my attention was caught everywhere I looked. Druggies, homeless bums, crack whores…they were everywhere back here in the allies at night, making shady deals and hooking up in seedy motels around the corner. Money was being made and lost by the second, and I couldn't help but see humans in a new light. Were they always this greedy? This selfish? Or was it just the people I saw now? In my mind, I compared the people I'd known to those I was hunting. Jessica, the real Jessica. Not a thought in her head but for herself. Renee, always so childish, putting me through the ringer again and again as no child should be. Abandoning me for Phil but claiming it was all my idea to leave the two alone. Even Charlie, so unrelenting in his desire for me to stay and comfort him the rest of my life. So unchanging in the want for me to never leave.

I was so lost in my musings, I didn't even notice Riley come up behind me.

"How can you _do_ that?" he asked, voice almost in wonder. I glanced around, confused. He clarified. "How can you just sit there and stare at the humans, I mean. It's hard to believe you're under a hundred, let alone two days old."

"I was just caught up in my past." I explained, my voice taking on a melancholy tune. It sounded so beautiful, even in the middle of being mournful. Apparently I wasn't the only one to notice, since Riley immediately got closer and I heard Fred approaching nearer as well. I gestured helplessly to the pitiful humans and their dull existence. "These people remind me of people I once knew. All so selfish and greedy, willing to do whatever it takes to put themselves first. It makes me sad."

"You are such a strange girl." Fred murmured, and I turned to look at him. Riley looked at him as well, and for the first time, Fred must have completely lowered his shield. With curly blonde hair and a height of six two or so, he seemed to be a perfect blend of Jasper and Emmett. Riley had the most surreal look on his face, like he couldn't believe that _this_ was the Fred he'd always known was in the corner of the room.

"I guess I am." I chirped, feeling a lot like Alice. Suddenly all of the Cullens had reentered my mind. So many questions flooded through me. Why weren't they there when I woke up? Why hadn't they come looking for me yet? Why had Edward been so dead set against me becoming a vampire that I'd been forced to take this shady, backstreet route? Was it because he didn't really want me by his side forever? The most important question- why didn't I care enough to go find _him_?

I didn't know any of these answers. I turned around again and took a shallow breath, feeling the burn in my throat flare with the delicious smell of blood.

"Can I drink now?" I begged. Riley looked surprised.

"Of course. I taught you how to do it already, you should be fine." he replied, reverting slightly back into that cynical shell he had. "If you have any problems, just whine to Fred, alright? I need to hunt, too."

I nodded once and inhaled again, deeply this time. I latched onto one scent, of honey and amber and tree sap, and there was no stopping me now. I followed it to where I saw a man walking out of a broken-down diner. He wasn't grimy or sooty, and I hesitated. Surely this handsome man would be missed? No sooner had I paused when he walked into an abandoned alley and brought out what I recognized as a gun. I flinched for a second before laughing to myself- the bullets would have no effect on my now-granite skin.

My chiming, whimsical giggles carried down the short tunnel, reaching the man's ears. He looked up with fear and then awe once he saw me. I expected him to tell me I should leave; that an innocent girl like me ought not be in such a dirty and horrible place as this.

"You can't stop me." he said bravely instead, earning a look of surprise from me. "My wife left me and took the kids. She turned to the needle and gave the kids up. They got beaten to death by their new parent and I didn't know where they were to stop it! I have nothing left to live for, angel, and you can't stop me from pulling this trigger."

"Angel?" I asked, blinking. "You think I'm an angel?"

"What other creature could be so beautiful as you, and show up just as I was about to end my life?" he replied shakily, wiping his tears and leaning his head against the brick wall at his back. "You must be an angel, and if you aren't, please don't stop my delusion."

"You're going to end your life?" I asked, changing the subject. "Isn't suicide frowned upon by god? How will you see your children if you aren't in heaven?"

"I- I have to try." he stuttered, gripping the gun determinedly. I smiled gently at him.

"Would you like me to arrange for passage?" I asked softly, but loud enough for his ears to hear. "I'm no angel, I'm a sinner. What's one more sin in my book if it can help you be with your children?"

"If it's no trouble to you, I'd prefer that." he replied, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please, just make it fast. I thank you for this and I know someday, you'll find redemption."

"Thank you." I replied quietly, probably too quiet for him to catch. Right before I snapped his neck, I saw him smile peacefully. Pressing my lips to his throat, I opened a hole and drained the warm blood, letting it satisfy my thirst. It was strange, but the one man seemed to be enough. I grabbed his body and walked a few blocks until I found a quiet and peaceful hillock. Quickly digging a hole, I laid the man's body to rest carefully. Pulling his wallet out of his pocket, I found his driver's license and smiled. I covered up the hole and kept the wallet, reading his card carefully. The hundred or so dollars, I'd donate to a children's abuse fund when I found the time.

Jimmy Reynolds, it said. Brown hair, blue eyes, 5'10. I knew the truth. I knew that Jimmy's hair was a reddish color, closer to auburn than brown. I knew his eyes were a sky blue, a triumphant robin's-egg blue. I knew that with all of the guilt on his shoulders, Jimmy's stature was a good 5'7 or so. And I knew I'd helped him find peace in some way. Helped him be with his children, and forget the pain he lived with constantly.

I followed my own scent back to where I'd left Riley and Fred and was surprised to see Riley there, eyes no brighter red than before.

"I've never seen anyone do that." he remarked casually, but his words held significance. His eyes were filled with tears that would never fall, though he blinked them back quickly and clearly hoped I hadn't seen them. "Care enough about a human to do something like that, I mean."

"He deserved it." I replied. "Jimmy only wanted to be with his children."

"Jimmy?" Riley asked uncertainly. I passed over the driver's license.

"Jimmy Reynolds." I elaborated. "His kids were murdered, and he felt guilt about not being there to help them, or at least die trying."

"Why'd you do it?" was the quiet response.

"Because I could. Because I could help a dying man with his last wish. It would've been cruel not to do it." I answered, sighing quietly. "I need to walk for a bit. Is it ok if I explore the city?"

"Yeah." Riley whispered, staring hard at Jimmy's identification. "Yeah, I'll be there in a little while, but you can explore on your own for now."

"Thanks." I said softly, turning and walking away. I knew Riley was dealing with something, some kind of shift in his beliefs. I knew he'd come and find me when he was done, and he'd probably 'forget' to give Jimmy's card back. I also knew that the next time he killed someone, no matter who they were, he'd whisper 'I'm sorry' before he snapped their neck.

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_Review for Kristy and her horrible spoilers? :D_


	6. The Foggy Rooftop of Understanding

_New chapter! I think I got the most reviews ever on my last chapter, so I hope I don't disappoint too badly with this one. It's shorter than chapter five. Anywho, thanks SO much to Christina-Tears, blackrosedoubled, goldeyedsoul, Giriath, twilightfan888, RangerRainbow, and bells254 for reviewing! I went insane when I saw how many reviews I'd gotten! I tried to respond to everybody. Also, I'd just like to apologize if the mood of this chapter is a bit haywire. I had both of Panic! At The Disco's albums playing on shuffle and as the songs on either album are quite different from each other, my mood was HAPPY sad HAPPY sad ECSTATIC depressed. I hope it doesn't show too much... (And I couldn't resist putting in a bit of my personal interests at the beginning. If you know any of these things, REVIEW telling me!)_

_Without further ado, here's chapter six! _

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It amazed me how quiet I could be when I wanted. Stalking through the city, I could hear what people were saying to each other in their apartments, at their tables in the coffee shop, and in the supermarkets. Every insignificant detail that made up their conversations.

"Yes, I'm sending it today! I hope it reaches Dan in Wokingham before the week's out."

"No, Brent was the worst member the band could ever have! It got so much better when they kicked his druggie self out and got Jon."

"Janine! You're wrong. _Obviously_, Spike is hotter than Angel. Angel is, like, broody all the time about his soul. And his stupid, stupid hair that sticks straight up and goes everywhere is unbearable! Spike is tough and does what he does for love! He can't help it!"

I was walking past someone's house, when I heard a woman say that. I really couldn't help but draw parallels. Honestly, Edward was the real-life Angel. Brooding about his soul, unwilling to have a relationship with a human girl but doing it anyway- though always keeping her at arm's length. Hell, at least Angel had sex with Buffy. Edward would never give me that much.

Spike, Spike. Who would Spike be in my life? He was always so outspoken, saying what he wanted to say whenever he wanted to. He started out being the bad guy, but showed his softer side after a while. He even cried sometimes, in a non-pathetic, manly sort of a way. I think Riley fit the bill perfectly, though he seemed to be more quiet than the peroxided vamp when he wasn't threatening people.

I sighed and moved on; the observation didn't change anything. Except…I'd thought of Edward with venom, rather than love. How was that possible? I loved him with all of my heart when I was human. Now, waking up as a vampire, I found that my human love for him only filled up the tiniest portion of my capacity. The rest, however, wasn't filled with love for Edward. It was just…blank. Nothing in there, like a gas tank that's running on vapors.

So what did I love, then? I scanned things through my mind to see if my heart metaphorically went pitter-pat. I'd done Edward already, what about the rest of the Cullens? I felt nothing, just a sort of numbness. Charlie, Renee? Again, I though of their selfish intentions. I found that when they'd die, I'd grieve, but at the moment I felt nothing but the vaguest love for them. The mandatory, child-has-to-love-parent kind.

Others, then. Jacob, Emily, Seth, Billy. I felt a tugging in my heart and investigated. I realized I loved them, but in a purely platonic, brother and sister way- even Billy. I wished I could visit them, but was not upset over the fact I might never see them again. Who else was there to scan? I found my mind curiously empty. It seems I wasn't a very social person, and I now found this sad. I pitied the former me, the Bella who had no one to talk to except the dominating boyfriend and his dominating family.

I'd like to think I'd risen above that, and was capable of looking after myself now. I was so deep in thought that when a hand touched my shoulder, I jumped up and whirled around, defensive. I relaxed when I saw it was just Riley.

"Hey." I mumbled, embarrassed by my reaction. I saw his eyes were a brighter red and he had a titch more color. "You finished hunting, then?"

"Yeah, I'm full." he replied, and to my shock, he sat down next to where I had been. I sat down again, and we both looked out into the foggy night. Earlier I hadn't really noticed where I was going- I found I'd sat on a roof overlooking the misty city, a fantastic view.

"You apologized, then?" I said, not really asking. I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Sara Brighton." he murmured. "She wanted to kill herself because her parents and sister had both just died in a car crash in New York. I helped her out, and told her I was sorry."

"Good." was my only response. I looked back at him and took in his face. Red eyes, of course, but I knew they used to be a dark honey color as a human. His hair had kept its brown shade, growing shinier with his transformation. A straight nose and perfectly proportioned lips finished his head off. His visage was young, and I knew he himself was only slightly older than me, but his face looked decades old. No- not his face, his eyes. They held something ancient within them.

I felt my heart metaphorically skip a beat.

"Riley, can I ask you a question?" I hedged, not sure how he would take what I was about to say.

"Um, sure." he replied, and I smiled on the inside. He was still such a teenage boy, despite the weariness in his eyes. Edward, with his eloquent speech and vast vocabulary, would be appalled at anyone ever saying 'um'.

"Who is _she_?" I asked, cutting to the heart of the matter. I saw him go through a chain reaction- he stilled, his eyes widened, then shrank into slits, then went back to normal proportions with angry lines around them.

"How do you know about her?" he demanded suspiciously. He'd shuffled a good two inches away from where he was, to distance himself from me.

"One of the others told me." I said, trying not to let on that all I knew was that there _was_ a 'she' and really nothing else.

Riley cursed quietly and then looked up at me, big eyes widening.

"Don't tell anyone else." he implored, crimson irises looking straight into mine. "Please?"

"I- I promise I won't tell anyone. But you need to tell me what's going on." I replied, shakily at first but getting firm at the end.

"I love her." he answered honestly, looking like a forlorn little boy. "This Cullen clan killed her friend. She wants revenge, and I'd do anything for her. Anything. So I'm helping her out, and then we're both going to leave forever and be together."

He was getting more Spike-like by the minute.

"Who was her friend?" I asked. Who had the Cullens killed? I couldn't think of anyone the sweet family would harm except...my blood chilled, and I sat up straight. It couldn't be, it couldn't be, it _couldn't be, _no way was Victoria here in Seattle with Riley…

"Some man named James. He and another friend were traveling with her through this territory and the Cullens killed him for no reason. Her other friend disappeared a while ago as well. She thinks they killed him, too." Riley said, a furrow in his brow, and I shattered inside. How could this sweet boy- man, really- be in love with Victoria? She was James' mate! Vampires mated once, and for life…she couldn't actually love Riley.

"Why is she willing to go so far to get revenge on him?" I asked confusedly. "It sounds like they were closer to mates than friends."

"How did you know about mates?" he rebutted suspiciously. He stood up and gave me a hard stare. "There are so many things like this- how could you know this stuff? You must have known about vampires for a while. I don't think you actually are just a girl who got attacked on the street, Jessica. If that is your real name."

I winced at that. I'd been too obvious and given myself away. Even as a vampire, I sucked at lying- pun not intended.

"Look," I said desperately. "I really was turned a couple of days ago, and I really don't know where my creators are, but I admit I knew about vampires for a couple years before turning. My name isn't actually Jessica, but please- I can't tell you my real name."

"Creators?" he asked, giving me a murderous stare. I gulped. Of course he had to pick up on my one slip.

"Okay, so I may have known who did it. But I don't know where they are!" I held my hands up in a classical don't-hurt-me gesture. "I swear! Please don't kill me!"

"Kill you?" he blinked, murderous stare gone. "Why would you think that?"

"Maybe because you issue death threats to every other newborn on a daily basis." I spat back, then recoiled. I was in full confrontation mode, and my rational self-preservation instincts told me that Riley was my superior and I needed to get down on my knees _now_. My brain was stopping me from doing that, but I still felt like I made a mistake standing up to him like that.

"I suppose you're right." he conceded, and I stood up shocked.

"That's it?" I asked in disbelief. "Aren't you going to tell me that you're right and I'm wrong, then explain why?"

"But you're right." he replied, looking at me quizzically. He took a step closer and stared into my eyes, searching for something. "Why do you act like this, so surprised every time someone tells you you did something right or supports your decisions?"

"I- I guess no one's ever trusted me to handle myself before." I answered, dazed. Now I was the one going through a shift in beliefs. Was it possible that I didn't need to rely on others to help me through things? I'd thought I was an independent person after the change, but it seemed I still needed other people's permission to do my own things. "Dad, boyfriend, friends, teachers…"

"God, what did those people do to you?" he wondered aloud, brushing a finger over my cheek. I could feel his breath on my face, and I stopped breathing for a moment before becoming aware of it and resuming. "You don't need somebody looking after you, you need someone looking out for you, and expecting you to do the same."

"Nobody wants me." was my pathetic response. "I had someone- two someones, even. But now that I am what I am, neither one will accept me."

"Then they're idiots." Riley said, smiling gently. He looked into my eyes for a second and then quickly withdrew, backing a couple steps away and looking to the ground. "Besides, now that you're here, you can't leave. You might compromise us."

"Not like I'd have anywhere to go." I responded glumly. Honestly, where did he expect me to run off to- Italy? No thanks. I changed the subject. "Riley, why do you do it?"

"Do what…?" he asked, looking at me quizzically again.

"You know, be so nice at times and then rip someone's head off if they glance at you sideways two minutes later?" I replied. With run-on sentences like these, it was a good thing I didn't need to breathe. "Are you bipolar or what?"

He burst out laughing and I couldn't help but laugh too. It felt good to release some of the tension. After a few more seconds, he calmed down and sat on the edge of the building again.

"It's not the circumstances or my mood that changes." he informed me, giving me a 'you-honestly-didn't-know-this?' look. "It's the people. Newborns, besides you of course, generally tend to rub me the wrong way. Plus, I need to maintain my looks around them. No one would stay in that stupid basement if they didn't believe that the sun burns their skin or that I would turn them into ashes without blinking."

"Oh, so it's scare tactics, eh?" I asked, nudging his side with my elbow. I already felt free, just knowing that there was _someone _out there who thought I could be an independent person. After tonight's talk, it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

"You've caught me!" he replied with a good-natured grin.

We both just chuckled and looked out into the night, waiting for Fred to join us.


	7. I'd Say Revelations But That's Cheesy

_So...you guys owe me BIG time. Here, I present to you, the next chapter of Forever and a Day...and it's over 4,500 words long _without_ the author's note. So, yeah. Hope you like it! Thank you very much to Christina-Tears, goldeyedsoul, RangerRainbow, and bells254 for reviewing. It makes me smile to see you guys like my writing. :)_

_I'm going to put a longer author's note at the end so you'll actually remember it when you're done reading. Until then, dahlings! Read on! _

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"Riley, how come you wear your boots like that?" I asked out of the blue, as we two sat on the roof. It was the same roof we'd talked on two nights ago, when he'd told me I should be finding someone to look out for me rather than someone to look after me. I'd been a bit surprised at the fact that he came down and offered for me to go hunting with him again only two nights after the first time, but there was no way I was declining the offer, not with my thirst flaring up again.

Fred hadn't been invited to go on this little outing, but that was because he didn't require as much blood as I did. I'd given him back his copy of Deathly Hallows and we shared a friendly hug before I left with Riley. Now, my companion and I had fed- Riley on a suicidal widow, me on a would-be rapist. He actually came with me this time- Riley, not the rapist- teaching me how to kill someone so it looked like an accident, as well as the art of _properly _burying bodies. Apparently I hadn't done it well enough last time. My feet were currently dangling off the edge of what I'd come to think of as _our building_. I was staring curiously at his shoes, waiting for an answer to my query.

"My…boots?" he repeated slowly, confusion clouding his face. I huffed and grabbed one of his feet, spinning him around so I could hold it in my lap. I gestured to it.

"Your boots." I confirmed, rolling my eyes. "The way you only lace them halfway up and let the tongues dangle out so far you could practically trip on them? What's the point of that?"

"Style." he teased, realizing what I meant. His face broke into a small grin and he scratched at the back of his neck. He was the most human vampire I'd ever met. "No, but really- it was always my brother's thing. He liked to think it looked cool on him, and he wore all his shoes like this. I guess I lace up my boots this way…out of nostalgia, or something. I don't know."

"Oh." I whispered. I looked up at him with a smile. "That's sweet."

"Yeah, well…" Riley sighed, eyes glazed over as he ran through old memories. "He was a sweet kid. I miss him, you know? He was a few years younger than me, about fifteen. God, he'd be sixteen now, if he hadn't…"

"What?" I nudged, trying to get Riley to unload his problems. It was obvious he was under stress, and he'd done so much to help me that it was the least I could do to talk him through some of his troubles.

"He died, about a week after I disappeared. She told me about it." he explained, voice etched with sorrow. "Apparently he was attacked. She thinks the Cullens had something to do with it, that they got angry she turned me on their turf, and lashed out."

In a flash I was hugging him as hard as I could, feeling horrible for him. It was obvious to anyone who knew the Cullens that they wouldn't hurt a human- except me, I thought wryly. It must have been Victoria, trying to find ways to motivate her new boy toy into helping her with her plan. Her plan that I already knew most of. Most people would have said that by now I had enough information to go back and give the Cullens. For some reason, though…I just couldn't leave.

"Please…newborn…too tight…" Riley gasped out, making the most of how much oxygen I'd left his lungs with before squeezing him so hard. I grinned sheepishly and loosened up. Lack of oxygen wasn't the problem- vampires didn't need to breathe. The problem was that you needed air to talk. Well, that and the fact I was crushing Riley's ribs with my newborn strength.

"Sorry." I said, finally stepping back. I felt so bad for Riley, losing his brother all on a whim from a woman he thought loved him. I wanted to warn him so badly, but why would he believe me? I was just some mysterious girl who couldn't be trusted.

"It's okay." he replied, rubbing his ribs and stretching. "Thanks for helping, though. I don't think I've had a hug since…"

He stopped and scrunched his face up, trying to remember. His face went blank after a few seconds, then dawned with realization.

"Since my brother hugged me goodbye when I left for college, a year and a half ago." he finally told me, looking down. He looked so lonely I could almost feel my heart beat again. He looked up suddenly, scrutinizing my face, and relaxed after a few moments, having made some kind of decision. He spoke again, and it was in a rush, as if he never thought he'd be telling this to anyone. "She never hugs me."

"Never…?" I repeated, spinning it into a question. I knew Victoria was heartless, but I never thought she was that cold. I figured she must have been nice to people who _didn't_ kill her mate, right? I guess I had been wrong in that assumption. I pulled Riley in for another hug, just sitting there, slightly rocking. "How could you not have a hug in over a year?"

He looked down, and put his head into the crook of my neck. I did the same. I heard him sniff as if he was crying, through of course his venom tears never spilled over.

"I don't know." he confided in me. "But…nobody ever h-hugs me anymore. They all think I don't have f-feelings."

This was a whole different side to Riley, one I'd never seen before. I would be willing to wager that Victoria'd never seen it either, and never would. Riley was probably that emotionless soldier with her, like he was with everyone else nowadays. Everyone but me, that is.

"Shh, Riley, it's okay." I told him, hugging him a little tighter, but nowhere near the magnitude of earlier. "It'll be okay."

"God, I'm sorry." he said, turning his head over and just letting in sit on my shoulder. "I don't mean to be such a baby about all this. It's just, you know, no one's been this nice to me since my brother and it's kind of a shock to feel actual emotions for a change."

"It's alright. You need to let this crap out." I berated him slightly. I inhaled deeply, prepared to go on some long-winded speech about feelings and how you shouldn't bottle them up, but I froze. Riley leg go and backed away gently, looking at my face. We were both still sitting on the edge of the building, and I was kind of close to falling off it. Riley scooted us away from the edge and then sat across from me, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Er…Jessica? Or whatever your name actually is?" he asked, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes. I shook my head slightly and was fully aware that my pupils were dilated so far you could barely see the irises. Riley coughed slightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…fine…just…" I struggled to get out, one eye twitching slightly. "You…smell…really, really good…."

"Um…thanks?" Riley replied, one eyebrow lifted slightly. He tilted his head and looked at me concernedly.

"Like…really…good. Amazing…actually." I was still fighting to explain. It was hard to talk through the haze that surrounded my mind. "First time…I smelled…another vampire…so close…"

"Ohhh." Riley said, nodding his head. He got a questioning look after a second. "I've never been so close to another vampire either. I guess we don't let others that close to our neck without being mates or something, generally. I'm kind of curious…could I smell you?"

"Sure.." I managed to choke out, still lost in the fog of _RileyRileyRiley_.

He leaned in close, stopping to reassure me he wasn't going to hurt me, since my instincts ought to be screaming 'no' at letting someone so close to my neck. Strangely enough, they weren't, though I just attributed that to the fact that I was about as high as a vampire could get. The tip of his nose just touched my neck, and he breathed in deeply. Immediately he froze, too. Backing away an inch or two, I saw that his pupils were as wide as mine.

"Whoa." was all he could get out. I nodded my head vigorously in agreement. When he leaned in, I'd gotten a second dose of his smell, even more potent if that was possible. We both just kind of stared at each other for what could have been hours but was in reality just minutes.

"I've never smelled anyone so good." I confided, widening my eyes a titch. "Not even my fiancée."

"Fiancée?" he repeated, an unreadable expression on his face. "You're engaged?"

"Was engaged." I explained, pursing my lips slightly and gesturing helplessly to myself. "I suppose it's over now that I'm like this."

"Like what- gorgeous?" Riley replied incredulously. He instantly winced, as if that hadn't been meant to come out. I just laughed in response.

"A vampire, idiot." I chuckled, though it had a tinge of wistfulness in it. "Nope, he was always very adamant." I attempted to do an imitation of Edward's voice, failing miserably. "You'll never be turned into a vampire! I won't let you! If you're turned into a vampire, I'm never going to love you like I do now! Our relationship will be ruined!"

"He said that?" Riley asked, seemingly incredulous. "What an imbecile. Who the hell would say all that to _you_? If he seriously wouldn't want you like this, then he needs to be in a mental facility."

"Thanks, Riley." I said softly, looking down. If I were still human I'd have been blushing.

"It's just the truth." he said simply, leaning back and looking at the stars. I grinned and looked him over before turning my attention to the sky as well.

"Riley?" I murmured. He looked over at me, letting me know to continue. "Can I get some new books tonight? I already finished all the Harry Potter books that that Bree girl leaves for Fred."

"Sure." he blinked, looking like he never considered that vampires might get bored enough to read books. "There's a Barnes & Noble a few blocks away that must be closed by now. We can get some stuff before heading back."

"Kay." I replied, and he offered me his hand. Ignoring it with a smile, I did a fancy flip to get up. I giggled a bit, so pleased with being a vampire. "Which way is it? Race ya!"

"That way." he said, pointing. Then he gave a predatory smile. "On your marks, get set, GO!"

I leaped in the direction he pointed me, flying over the rooftops as if they were sections of sidewalk, one or even two to a leap. Riley was a bit faster than me, but my brute strength propelled me forward, allowing me to beat him by a narrow margin. Taking in a gulp of unneeded air out of habit before looking around, I found an entrance to the store by way of an easily jimmied skylight. I let myself drop inside, landing as lithely as a feline on the thinly carpeted floor.

I straightened from my crouch and looked around, able to see everything clearly, though to a human it would have been pitch black. I found a messenger bag on a display table and began filling it with books that looked interesting. I grabbed a few CD's too, though I didn't know how I could listen to the music. I thought I remembered seeing a boom box in the basement somewhere; maybe I could use that.

I was about ready to leave when I stopped. Crap, how could I forget about money? I had nothing to pay with! Riley looked about ready to suggest we steal the books, but took one look at my face and sighed, pulling out a hundred-dollar bill and leaving it in the till. I smiled with relief and hopped up to the ceiling, grabbing the roof beams for support. Shimmying my way across it, I got back up the same skylight I'd entered by. Looking back, I saw Riley do the same.

I took in the view from the top of the building, all city and lights. I wished I could see nature again, feel the rain, hear the roar of the ocean.

"Riley? Erm…we still have lots of extra time tonight, right?" I started, intending to broach a request I'd never made before. He nodded and invited me to go on. "Could we maybe…?"

"You want to go to the beach?" he asked, puzzled. I was glad his vampire hearing allowed him to decipher my weird sentence. "Okay, I guess. We should get some ziplock baggies for those books if you want to keep them dry, though."

I was happy he didn't think it weird that I wanted to see the ocean again. We set off for the coast about two hours north of La Push- I didn't tell him about the werewolves, but I sure as hell didn't want to run into them, so I made sure we were far off their land. Before leaving Seattle, we did stop by a grocery store and get ziplocks, though.

Running was very soothing for me, and it felt like months and yet only seconds later that I saw green foliage and trees beginning to clear and I hard the rush of the ocean. I picked up may pace, completely forgetting Riley, and ran to the beach. Throwing my newly acquired messenger bag behind a nearby log, I rolled up my jeans and kicked off my shoes, dancing around in the sand. I must have looked hilarious, but I didn't care.

A few seconds later, Riley popped out of the tree line and made his way over to where I was spazzing out. He gave a light chuckle and I whipped around, forgetting that he'd even come with me in the first place.

"Be still my unbeating heart!" I cried, clutching my chest in fake panic. He just laughed and took off those ridiculously laced boots and his socks. I suddenly had an idea. "Race you to the water!"

"You're on!" Riley cried, and I took a giant leap while he ran as fast as he could. I think Riley beat me, but only my milliseconds. I was too happy in the water to really care. After a couple minutes of diving, getting used to not needing air, I sped up to the surface where my companion was.

"It's so warm!" I exclaimed to him. "When I was human, this water was _freezing_, but now I'm completely fine. In fact, it feels like I'm in a bath."

"It does, doesn't it?" Riley replied, returning my smile. He looked the giddiest I'd ever seen him, or mildly happy from anther person's perspective. "This is awesome. I haven't been in the ocean since I was a human, either."

We spent another hour or so like that, just diving and looking at all the sea creatures that looked inky black and midnight blue thanks to the darkness of night. We even saw a shark, though it was only a couple feet long since the big ones were all down in the south for mating season or something. I bit it on a dare from Riley, to see what it was like. Vile, was what it was like. Its blood couldn't compare at _all_ to a human's.

After our hour was up, we had to get out, since dawn would come in about two and a half hours and it'd take two just to get back to Seattle. We were cutting it close. I came out of the surf, glad that now I wasn't human anymore sand didn't annoy me when it got trapped between my clothes and skin.

I was just about to grab my messenger bag and put on my shoes when I smelled something nearby…_vampire_.

"Riley." I said quietly, my voice full of urgency. He tensed and shot to my side, immediately smelling the other vampire like I had. He stepped closer to me and held his ground as we waited for the obviously close cold one to step out of the trees. For a second, I thought it was Victoria- but then I realized the scent was unfamiliar to Riley as well and I relaxed the tiniest fraction. After what seemed like days, whoever it was came out of the forest.

If my heart had been beating, it would have stopped cold at the sight of her.

"I've been looking all night for you!" she said, her jet-black hair mussed. She looked at me with relief and concern. "Actually, I've been looking for you for almost a week, we all have!"

"Y-you have?" I choked. It was Alice, Alice Cullen. My for-all-intents-and-purposes sister and best friend. "I thought you guys gave up on me!"

"No, sweetie!" I had no idea where you were, I couldn't see!" she replied, running towards me. Riley had backed up a step, clearly not expecting me to know this- to him- unfamiliar vampire. "I snuck out tonight to meet you. I knew you'd be here, but I didn't know quite how to find 'here'. No one else knows I've come."

"Why?" I asked, frustrated and curious.

"Because I saw you with _him_." Alice said, glancing over at Riley. "The rest of them would have questions."

"Why weren't you there when I woke up?" I demanded, suddenly remembering that morning. Alice's eyes turned soft.

"When he came back…and he saw what you'd done without his permission…honey, he was devastated. He ran away as fast as he could and half of us went after him to bring him back. The next day, they called the rest of us to come out and help convince him to return home. When we finally got back, you were gone." Alice explained in a rush. I felt my anger at the Cullens drain until it was gone and slowly fill up with rage and hate towards Edward. Why would he run away? He didn't honestly love me, did he?

"I knew I was right." I said bitterly, shaking my head in disgust. "Now that I'm a vampire, my precious fiancée can't get away from me fast enough."

"Don't think like that!" Alice implored me. "He still loves you, he just…needs time to get used to the new situation."

"Whatever. It's over now, and you can tell him I said that. I don't want to be around him anymore, I've got a new life." I said boldly, knowing I'd more likely than not regret this later. I ploughed forward anyway. "The moment he wasn't there for me, I knew it was over. When I was traveling, I met a someone else…and I realized we were mates."

Alice looked shocked at the revelation, and Riley looked confused. He'd seen me every day since I was turned, and was obviously wondering when I'd found the time to get myself a mate.

"What? You have a mate?" Alice asked, eyes as wide as saucers. "Vampires only mate once and for life! Who is he?"

I was trapped, close to being caught out. I didn't know vampires only mated once! I thought it was the equivalent of a boyfriend! Oh, well. I'd still have to go through with my plan to get the Cullens, especially Edward, to leave me alone. I took an unnecessary breath.

"My mate is…right here." I said, gesturing to Riley. I quickly turned so I was facing him, simultaneously blocking his shocked face from Alice and mouthing 'just pretend'.

To stop Alice from answering a bunch of questions I'd no doubt not know the answers to, I launched myself at Riley, taking him in my embrace. I put my lips to his and kissed him for all I was worth- which I might add, was now a lot. So stunned was he, he didn't even move for a few seconds. He must have remembered what I asked him to do, though, so he reciprocated my actions, holding on to the back of my head and kissing me back. Once I was sure my point was driven home to Alice, I broke away, pasting on a grin and holding Riley's hand. He looked kind of dazed, but mustered a lopsided smile.

"I know it's not even been a week, but I love him." I 'confessed' to Alice. I smiled like a giddy schoolgirl and looked over at Riley, bumping his head with mine like I'd seen happy couples do. "So please, if you're my friend, just go. I'll contact you again soon, okay? And make sure…make sure _he_ knows about this, alright? Make sure he knows it's over between us because I found actual love."

"O-o-okay…." Alice stuttered, not moving. I groaned internally and wondered how to get her to leave. Oh, duh. I kissed Riley once again, this time open-mouthed, tackling him to the sandy floor of the beach. After about thirty seconds of tonsil hockey, I pulled away slightly, looking around. Alice was nowhere to be seen. I got up, looked down at a really, really dazed and confused Riley, and offered my hand. Taking it as if he had no other way to get up, he practically brought me down to the ground with him when he hauled his entire weight up by my arm.

"Wha-" he began, but I help a finger to his lips. I followed Alice's scent for almost five minutes to make sure she was really gone, then doubled back and came back to where Riley stood, now looking more alert but still very confused.

"Let me explain." I began, looking nervously at him. I sat down on the log I'd put my bag behind, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Firstly, I just want to say sorry. I shouldn't have jumped you like that, but I really wanted my friend to go away without asking me a bunch of questions about you that I couldn't answer."

Riley nodded to show he understood, and plopped down- gracefully, somehow- on the sand in front of me, waiting for me to go on.

" I don't really know how to explain, so I guess I'll just start at the beginning." I took a deep breath, wondering how to explain this without revealing who I was. Honestly, I was surprised Riley hadn't figured it out already. I heaved a sigh. "Look, do you promise not to kill me if I tell you the truth?"

"I promise." Riley replied throatily, voice still sounding like music. "I won't kill you, no matter what you tell me. I'll even promise not to tell anyone else what you tell me."

"Okay…" I said nervously, twiddling my thumbs for something to do, though vampires didn't seem to do that kind of stuff without consciously thinking about it. "My name is Isabella Swan. Edward Cullen was my fiancée."

"I didn't know you guys were engaged." Riley said, completely shocking me. My mouth dropped open. "I mean, not until earlier tonight anyway. I thought he was still just your boyfriend. I guess he's your ex now, though."

"You knew?" I asked, voice an octave higher than normal.

"Well, duh." Riley replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm not stupid, you know. A vampire who looks exactly like Isabella Swan, meeting me right outside Isabella Swan's house. And later I find out you knew your creator_s_ before you became a vampire? Too big a coincidence, Bella. Way too big."

"Well why haven't you killed me yet?" I demanded, narrowing my scarlet eyes.

"Don't you know anything about me by now, Bella?" Riley asked, tsk,tsk-ing me. "I wasn't going to just kill you. You're so mature for being so young, and when I first figured it out, I thought I could use you to get Edward to Seattle or something. I guess I was wrong, but I'm still not going to kill you."

"What about Victoria?" I bit out. His eyes widened.

"How do you know her name?" he asked. Well, well. Apparently Vicky hasn't told Riley the full story yet.

"Because I was there when she and the other two met the Cullens." I replied. His eyes were darting back and forth while he looked at the ground. He was trying to figure things out, force the extra information I was giving him into the scenario Victoria had painted. "I was there when James, her _mate_, tried to kill me and ended up getting killed himself. I was there when Laurent, the other member of the coven, tried to _kill _me and almost succeeded_._ And I was _there_ when she tried to find a way to kill me all last year."

"But…you can't be right. You're lying." he snarled, but remained passive. "She loves me, why would she lie?"

"Does she love you, Riley?" I asked sadly. This earned me not a swift decapitation as I'd expected, but a wary look from his hurt eyes. "Honestly; you said it yourself. She never even hugged you all the time she's known you. She just needed someone close to Forks and you fit the bill. Doesn't it seem suspicious your brother died less than a week after she took you? The only person who, as far as I can tell, would stop you from going willingly to die in order to save her life?"

"But…she loves me." he said softly, as if trying to make himself believe it. I got down on my knees in front of him and took his hands in mine, staring directly into his eyes.

"Riley, Victoria does. Not. Love. You." I said slowly and carefully, willing him to believe it. "If she did, she'd be here right now, telling you that she loves you and hugging you, and asking you why your boots are laced up silly, and telling you that you need to let your emotions out. She'd be kissing you and breaking into bookstores with you, and _not _making you exact revenge for her dead mate. Do you understand?"

"I…think so…" Riley whispered. He looked up into my eyes, and I saw a spark of life. Not the dead look that he'd get when anyone else was around, but the one he gave me when we laughed together. I grinned at him, and it was only when he leaned towards me that I replayed my words in my mind. Uh oh. He stopped just inches away from my face, so close that when he talked I could feel his breath on my lips. "Bella…are you trying to tell me that you love me?"

"I…I don't know." I half-whimpered in response. I repeated his earlier words. "But I think so."

"Good. Cause I think I love you, too." he said, before closing the distance and pressing my lips to his.

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_Hell, yeah! I think we can all agree this was the most epic chapter yet. Riley/Bella fluff, Riley history, Alice Cullen, vampire shenanigans, Bella telling Riley the truth, Bella and Riley kissing, and HOLY CRAP GUYS, BELLA AND RILEY KISSING! *ahem* The only way this could get better is if Fred was there. _

_Fred: Hey, author-lady. I'm here. And I have opinions on these new developments. I totally sensed what was between Riley and Bella _waaaay_ long ago. 'Member that? Huh? Huh? _

_Me: Fred, shut up and get back in the Box until I need you. Kay? *shoves Fred in 'the Box' and dusts off hands* _

_Back to the A/N. Okay, so guys, I wrote this chapter for you. Many times I decreed 'this is where it shall end!' and end there it did not. For _you_. So I think I deserve some reviews, even if you're gonna hate on me. I just want to hear your opinions cause it makes me happy to interact with you guys! Is Riley way out of character? Lemme know! Is there not enough (read: at all) Bree in here for you? Lemme know! Is Edweird-o coming off as a total douche-canoe? HE BETTER BE. And lemme know! _

_AH LOVES YOU GUYS LIKE GIR LOVES TACOOOOS! Which is, if you're unfamiliar with Invader Zim, a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT. Maybe I could better equate it with Pete Wentz and his guyliner. Or Willy Wonka and being a creepy pedophile. Or Jacob Black and being a creepy pedophile. Anywhoodles, it's a lot. I love to hear from you guys, cause I just love you! (In a non-stalker/pedophillic way, of course.) _

_After that shameless review-begging, let me end this on a bittersweet note. I hope ya'll have a great valentine's day, cause you're probably not getting any updates until then. ;D_


	8. Lalalalala Edward's Here

_Don't kill me! I know this is small compared to the other chapters. Tiny, even. Infestimentally microscopic. But hang on! It's only half a chapter. I need time to write some more, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. I was serious when I talked about the valentine's deadline for updating. Anyway...think of this as a teaser, if you will. There will be another half up soon, also from Alice's POV, where this left off, then a Bella/Riley chapter. M'kay? Remember: reviews make me happy! Happy author = productive writer! Productive writer = more chapters sooner! :D _

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ALICE POV:

_Ohshit, ohshit, ohshit. Edward is going to _**freak **_when he finds out. He better not be one to shoot the messenger, or I'm dead. Well, Jazzy can protect me, but oh my god, I still can't believe Bella found a mate and _**it's not Edward**_. Oh god, oh god, oh god, how do I tell him? Just show him what I saw? Just keep it hidden and mention it casually sometime? What if I don't tell him? No, that'll never work. He'll find out eventually… plus Bella asked me to tell him…oh god. He's going to slam me into a tree or something. And I finally got my stupid haircut to look good! For once. Damn mental institutions, shaving their patients nearly bald. _

_Here it comes…almost to the house…think about something else, something else. Lalalalala, Elmo's world! I love you, you love me, we're all one big happy family! But not when he finds out…crap! LALALALALA, ELMOOOO'S WORLD! _

"Is Edward here?" I blurted out as soon as Esme comes into view. She was out in the front of the house, doing some gardening. Typical, in a sweet way. She looked up at me with concern, shaking her head. Thank god. I could relax my thoughts now. "I have…news."

"Oh dear." she said, reading my face and immediately knowing it was bad. She put down her spade and watering can and was to my side in a flash. We both walked into the house together.

"Jazz?" I called in a slightly shaky voice. Almost instantly there stood in front of me my southern gentleman. I hugged him and he seemed bewildered for a moment before hugging me back. "I have news, who else is here?"

"Just Rosalie and Carlisle, Edward and Emmett are out hunting." he said to me, in that honey voice with just enough accent. "Something wrong, darlin'?"

I didn't answer, and he knew me well enough to interpret what I meant. He hugged me again, then called out to the others. Carlisle was here instantaneously, took one look at my face, and put an arm around Esme with a concerned look towards me. Rosalie, however, took almost thirty more seconds to get down the stairs- for a vampire, that's like an hour.

"Hang…on!" she muttered, running down at an uneven pace, finally making it after another two seconds. "Sorry. I was inspecting my Blahniks, because it appeared as though _somebody_ borrowed them without asking."

"I did, okay? It's not a big deal!" I growled, annoyed at her vanity holding up such an important discussion. Who knew how long we hand before Edward returned? There was a collective gasp at my disregard for shoes. I know, I know, shocking. Alice Cullen _does _have other things on her mind besides fashion sometimes! Though those Manolos looked _amazing_ with my miniskirt and- right. Not relevant. "There's some really important news I need to discuss with you before Edward gets back!"

"Well, what is it?" Rosalie spat irritably, clutching protectively at her pair of high heels.

"Okay…this will come as a shock, but…earlier I had a vision. Of Bella." another collective gasp filled the room and I continued on. "She was at the beach, and it was late at night. I ran up the coast to see if I could find her, because I knew it was that night that she'd be there. And…I found her."

"You found Bella?" Esme squeaked with a mixture of happiness and relief.

"Yes- but there's something else." I replied, about to fill them in on the details when I heard someone behind me.

"What?" Edward asked, and I tried hard not to think of it_. Bill Nye the science guy- Bill, Bill, Bill, Bill-_ "Would you shut up with the internal yammering, Alice?"

_Uh-oh. The cat was about to come out of the bag. _"Alice, just tell me what happened!"

_The secret was about to be unveiled._ "Yeah, I know. Tell it to me already!"

_Edward was about to go as mad as one of those old clockmakers that dipped the clocks in mercury and slowly became insane as they killed themselves with poisonous gas over years' time. _"ALICE. HOW DO YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT IN THESE MOMENTS OF TIME? TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY FIANCEE, _NOW." _

"Not your fiancée anymore." I muttered. Everyone's eyes widened.

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_A/N: And thanks a ton to IExistInLaLaLand, Christina-Tears, twilightfan888, PersonallityDisorder, bells245, 1dreamkeeper, ashrachellexx, and RangerRainbow for reviewing. It means a lot, guys! :) _


	9. A Chauvinistic Jerk

_God, I _know_ this chapter sucks and I'm a huge meanie who didn't update when they said they would! *hides from flaming shoes* (I have no clue why you guys would be chucking flaming shoes at me; presumably they were the closest and most flammable thing you had on hand. Or, _on foot_. *rimshot*) Anyway, this is a crap chapter that I'm posting at a crap time and you will be mad at me because it contains no Bella/Riley and not a ton of Edward-bashing. (There is some, however; rejoice.) So anyway. There will be more soon, no guarantees when, but there _will be more_. Thanks so very, very much to Christina-Tears, 1dreamkeeper, twilightfan888, bells524, RangerRainbow, (er, it didn't let me properly fill in your name, with the periods and dashes and all, but: x in love with vamps x), Sheridan Malfoy Potter (love your name. :D), and millymollymanda for reviewing! You're the only reason I post more of this! _

_I promise next chapter will be longer and in Bella's POV. _

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ALICE POV: 

"What do you mean, Alice?" Esme asked in a confused voice. I cringed slightly, trying hard to think of anything but what had happened at the beach.

"Spit it out Alice," Edward said coldly, mimicking my voice after a moment. "You sound like a bad teen movie- 'I can't tell anyone what happened last night at the beach!'"

"Edward, Bella broke off the engagement and told me she found a mate." I said in a rush. No one moved for almost four seconds- which, like I said, is practically forever to us vampires.

"You're lying." Edward whispered harshly, unable to choke out any more words. I put a determined look on my face and showed him my thoughts. _The vision, running to the beach, finding Bella. Bella's anger at Edward, her refusal to come with me. Her desperate exclaiming that she found her mate, and then the shock of her kissing him. Her message to Edward through me. _By the end of it, Edward looked as sick as I'd ever seen a vampire look.

"I'm telling the truth." I said resolutely, knowing he believed me now. You just couldn't make that kind of stuff up. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to get her back." Edward said after a moment, voice sure. I loved Bella like a sister, and I was glad she'd found a mate, but who could turn down such a romantic man as Edw- "She belongs to me, she can't just go off and declare she's found a mate! _I'm_ her mate!"

Okay. So Edward was kind of a chauvinistic dick.

"Hey!"

_Shut up, Edward, you know it's true_.

"It is _not_, and anyway that's why Bella loves me. I protect her." Edward sniffed, turning and heading for the door. Yeah, right. Like Bells needed protecting anymore; she was a vampire for god's sake! Edward huffed as he put his hand on the doorknob. "SHE STILL DOES, SHE ALWAYS WILL!"

"Does not." I muttered as Edward ran out of the house. The rest of the family had on that irritated look they wore when Edward and I had those silent conversations.

"What?" I asked, giving them an incredulous look. "Isn't it obvious Edward's being a belittling idiot about this whole thing?"

"Hallelujah, she's seen the light." Rosalie muttered, throwing her hands up and scoffing. "It's about time. Now _give us the dirt_."

Uh, okay.

"So-basically-I-like-went-to-the-beach-and-Bella-was-like-standing-there-with-her-mate-and-she-was-all-" I began, before being cut off by a hand over my mouth.

"Really, Alice dear, we love you but we can hardly understand you when you talk so fast." Esme said, not unkindly, as she took her palm away from my face. I gave everyone a sheepish look.

"Okay, well basically," I took a deep breath, noting the warning look from Esme. "I had a vision about Bella, so I went up the beach to find her. And I did find her, with a man. Or a guy, really. He can't have been any more than nineteen or twenty. Well, she pretty much freaked out when she saw me, telling me that she wasn't going to come with me and she was mad at us. I explained why we weren't there when she woke up, and she seemed a little happier, but then she got, like, _really _pissed off at Edward. I hoped she would come with me, to smooth things out back here, and she told me the guy she was with was her mate. At first, I didn't believe her. But…she kissed him, pretty much made out with him, and from what I could tell, it wasn't a shock to him or anything. I mean, he kissed back. And she looked really…just really _in love_. Like, I've never seen her look that way, even around Edward. So. It's probably true."

"Bella found a mate?" Emmett clarified, raising an eyebrow. "Well, who was it?"

"I, um." I stuttered. I can't believe I forgot to ask. He looked so familiar, though…my eyes widened when I put two and two together. "She didn't introduce me, but I've just connected the dots. He was so familiar looking! It's the kid from the missing posters, Riley Biers."

"Riley Biers?" Emmett asked, frowning slightly. "Wasn't he in college in Seattle when he went missing? He's only been gone like a year or so. He's…he's still technically a newborn."

"_My_ Bella is with a _newborn_?" Esme asked, hysteria on the edge of her voice. If vampires could faint, she'd be out cold.

"Bella _is _a newborn," Rosalie snorted, causing Esme to eye-shoot poison daggers at her. "I'm pretty sure she's fine."

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper asked, looking at me with concern. Aw, his southern accent was coming out. I'd be pleased with that if I wasn't busy trying to fight the dread slowly pooling in my stomach.

"It's just…Bella's been gone for a week, right?" I hedged. The others nodded. "If she was hunting animals, her eyes would already be a little dull, or at least not crimson after she'd fed. And Riley's been a vampire for at least seven months, plenty of time for his eyes to turn topaz, right?"

"Alice, were Bella's eyes bright red?" Carlisle asked, just now coming into the conversation.

"Absolutely scarlet. And so were his." I proclaimed, my heart melting into a puddle somewhere in the vicinity of my lower abdomen. My voice came out as nothing but a whisper when I spoke again. "She's…she's been feeding on humans."


	10. Red Sky In Morning, Sailors Take Warning

_Alright! New chapter! Dunno when the next one will be up, I apologize for any mistakes as I have no beta, and thanks very much to 1dreamkeeper, twilightfan888, TBug (my first anon review on this story, so thanks TBug, sorry I couldn't reply to you), and RangerRainbow! :) _

_(Remember, this is going back to Bella's POV, and it's right after Riley kissed her.) Enjoy! _

* * *

"Um…whoa." I said helplessly, sitting up and folding my legs underneath me in a crossed position. "What…what was that, exactly?"

"I don't really know." Riley said to me, sitting up as well as brushing sand out of his hair. If I could still blush, I'd be tomato red by now. As it was, I was looking down at the ground, embarrassed. Riley shifted backwards an inch or so. "Do you…regret it?"

"Regret it?" I asked sharply, looking up. "Of course not! Do…do you?"

"No." he replied, breaking out into a small grin. Well, scratch mildly pleased off the 'happiest-Riley's-ever-looked' list, he was now practically ecstatic! "Not a second. Though I think it is weird that we're confessing our love for each other and we've known each other about five days total."

"You're right." I though aloud, scrunching my nose. "Isn't it strange? Do you suppose we actually _are_ mates? I only just found out you liked- loved- me back a few minutes ago, but the thought of being without you kind of scares me."

"It doesn't scare me." Riley said, and my heart fell. He laced my fingers through his and hastened to correct what he'd said when he saw my mood shift. "I just mean…Bella, you can handle yourself. I trust you. I don't feel like I _need _to be with you every minute of the day, I just feel like I need to know you're okay. I want to see you every day, but I understand if something happens, you know? I don't doubt your loyalty or anything."

"This is kind of surreal." I admitted, tightening my grip on his hand. He looked at me with questioning eyes and I tried to explain. "Edward was just…very overbearing, now that I think about it. He was all, 'Blah-blah-blah, Bella we are together forever, you can never leave me, I need you like a drug I don't trust you I need to be there to protect you blah-blah-blah.' It never occurred to me that someone else might not need me there every minute of the day. That they'd feel like I could handle myself by myself. Even Jacob was like that…so intense and unrelenting, though to a lesser extent."

"Jacob?" Riley questioned, and I internally cursed. Damn him for being so good at picking up my little slips! Though I supposed it was time to tell him, it's not as if I wanted to keep secrets any longer.

"Remember when I said I had two someones?" I prodded. Riley nodded and I saw him look curious as to who this other romantic partner could be if Edward was so protective. "Well…it's kind of a long story. Basically, he was my best friend before I learned about vampires. He kind of indirectly told me about them, actually. Well, Edward left me last year after a close call involving a paper cut and his loosely-controlled brother…it was all very messy. When he left…I was a shell of myself. I started spending time with Jacob, as a friend, and he slowly brought me back to myself. Then I had to go and save Edward from killing himself over this whole misunderstanding thing, and I found out he still loved me. We got back together and Jacob still wanted me. Romantically, I mean. He…he'd never accept me as a vampire, though. He made that clear before."

"You bring out selfish tendencies in people, don't you?" Riley astutely remarked. I just gaped at him and his bluntness. He elaborated. "I mean, Edward wants you like some kind of love-slave who can never leave his sight, Jacob wants you as his fantasy-come-true in spite of the fact that you just wanted to be friends. Even Alice earlier, wanted you to drop everything you had to go back and be with her and the family. You said earlier that your dad never wanted you to leave him, and your mom expected you to be the parent. Doesn't anyone in your life cut you some slack?"

Speechlessly, I shook my head. One side of Riley's mouth quirked up.

"Well, they do now. I do, I mean. You don't have to do anything you don't want to around me, kay?" he murmured, and I pulled him into a silent hug as answer. We must have looked strange there, sitting on the beach, tangled up in each other's soggy, sandy grip. I ran a hand through my bedraggled hair as I felt the sun warm my back a little. I sighed into our hug and simply _melted_ into Riley. We were at peace- until my eyes snapped open again.

"Shit, Riley!" I panicked slightly, pulling away until we were half an arms length from each other. "The _sun_. We didn't get back in time! What do we do?"

"Hey, hey, it's alright." Riley whispered, rubbing my cheek with his thumb and looking into my eyes. I could feel his touch going straight to my heart as if it were electrically wired. I bit my lip, but he eased my mouth open slightly and I let go of it. "It's okay. We don't need to get back in a hurry. In fact, we don't even need to get back. Not if you don't want to."

There it was again, that phrase. _Not if you don't want to._ It etched itself in my mind, reshaping and molding, helping my brain rethink all of its previous idea on what, exactly, I did or not have to do. I smiled, a quick smile, and it made Riley smile back, and it was like bringing out the sun. I took a moment to study him. He was gorgeous. Stunning, handsome, breathtaking. Not that I needed to breathe, but well, you get the idea. I won't say he was perfect. That's not true. His mouth was a little wider than conventional standards, and he had a lopsided smile, and his eyelashes weren't very dark, but he was amazing nonetheless. It was his imperfections that, to me, stood out the most. All I could remember of Edward was loving unconditionally, every single thing about him was _sosoperfect_, and there was never a flaw. He'd hide them from me, like I would from him, though that was a lost cause since I'd been so pitifully human at the time.

Still. Riley _saw_ my full top lip and my funny scar and my tendency to blink a little too much- though being a vampire had helped with that, I guess- and he _loved_ it. Loved the things that Edward would have immediately classified as inherently weak and striven to change. Riley wasn't like that, and I was immensely glad. I suddenly gave him a brilliant smile, leaning forward and capturing his lips in mine. Another thing I loved about him- our lips held our own, but at the same time it was like they were one. It wasn't me constantly trying to find good purchase on the equivalent of a cold iron bar.

There were no tongues, no open mouths. Just me pressing my lips to his for what seemed like infinity, both our mouths curved up into smiles. It was blissful. Until, of course, something had to come along and ruin it.

"Bella?" I heard a choked voice ask, and it took me a moment to put the pieces together in my head. I leaned away from Riley slowly, promising with my eyes that I wouldn't leave him, and slowly turned my head to look at the speaker. Him.

"Edward." I returned coldly. He flinched a little, and I tilted my head, looking him over. My earlier judgments had been wrong. Edward was, obviously, more handsome with my vampire vision. But at the same time, he was more pitiful. Nothing about him looked warm, kind. He was made up of shiny skin and shiny hair and shiny features, really giving him the illusion of someone's Ken doll dipped in glittery hair gel. I wrinkled my nose in distaste before allowing my unemotional face to come back.

"Bella." he repeated, voice cracking. I rolled my eyes; vampire voices didn't even crack. This was clearly all an act, as fake and plastic as the rest of him. I hated myself for ever giving him the time of day.

"Are you going to keep saying my name, or talk to me?" I asked, my voice that ringing bell I'd heard the first time I'd spoken with Riley.

"Bella, how could you do this to me- no, to _us_?" he asked, sounding horrified. "I loved- love you! What are you doing?"

"You cut things off a long time ago, Cullen." I snapped. He visibly flinched at my use of his surname. "I owe you nothing, there is no longer an _us_. And what I_ was_ doing was enjoying a peaceful and happy moment with the man I love, before you barged in."

"But, you love _me._" Edward protested, eyebrows furrowing.

"No, I don't." I explained. "I love the _idea_ of you; the perfect man who will stop everything he's doing at the drop of a hat for you, who will protect you and open doors for you, and who will put his coat on a puddle so you can step onto the sidewalk. But I realized I don't even want that. I don't even want the idea of you, Edward. And you don't even want me, just my idea."

"But I do all those things for you, Bella!" he argued, apparently not understanding.

"Exactly." I said simply. "You will drop everything just because I snap my fingers, like a dog. You will protect me, like a dog. You will ruin your perfectly good coat just so I can step onto the sidewalk, even though I could have hopped over the puddle. You are not a 'gentleman', you're a belittling man who refuses to let me do things for myself. If I'd let you, you would have held the spoon up to my face so I could eat and scrubbed me in the shower. You wouldn't let me do that stuff, Edward. But it's irrelevant now since I found someone who does."

"What, _him_?" Edward sneered. "Did you even think about why he was around this area? Seattle, Bella! Seattle! He probably has something to do with the newborn army!"

I sniggered and Edward's eyebrows flew up to his forehead.

"What?" he exclaimed.

"Just leave, Edward." I sighed. "You're not going to find what you're looking for here. Dependant little Bella who constantly needed to get your approval is _gone_. And you'll never see her again. I'll be realistic- there are a lot of girls out there who would kill to have you, and would do exactly what I used to do; whimper for you, beg for you, need you in unhealthy quantities like a drug. You'll find another Isabella Swan. But it won't be me."

Edward did nothing but look at me stonily before hesitantly walking to the tree line. I felt an arm slip around my waist, and I fought a smile. _He _looked back once, just once, before walking into the forest. I knew he wasn't out of my life, he'd crop up again. Probably very soon. But he was gone for now, and that was all that mattered.

* * *

_A/N: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing green? If not, *pinch*. _


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